Oil film laminate



OIL FILM LAMINATE Filed Sept. 18, 1964 Pl/ PLUS C040v @Lais M/A/EQAL 0M,

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INVENTORS QU EST E L .JOHN M. BY JAMES AMILLER 01:51AM uw FIG.4

ATT YS.

United States Patent O 3,334,009 OIL FILM LAMINATE John M. Questel and James A. Miller, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assignors to Morgan Adhesives Company, Stow,

Filed sept. 1s, 1964, ser. No. 397,423 4 claims. (ci. 1st-24s) attached to a display surface, usually glass, so that the decal can be seen from both surfaces of the Iglass display sheet.

Naturally in making these articles, it is desirable to produce them as inexpensively as poss1ble but yet to produce a satisfactory and attractive display unit, while it` also is quite important that these decals be readily attachable to a display surface `an-d 'be adapted to be locatable thereon in a desired position. Frequently it is necessary to adjust the position of the decal slightly prior to Yleaving it in one place for display action.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved decal characterized by the inexpensive construction of the decal and by the ease of attachment of the decal in an adjustable position on a display surface.

Another object of the invention is to provide a 1aminate, such as a decal which includes an oil lm as one layer of the laminate produced and which oil lm can be separated from a base or carrier sheet on which the decal is initially produced and carried for production purposes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an irnproved type of a laminate, particularly suitable for use as decals and similar articles, and wherein the initial laminate from which the decal or Iultimate laminate is produced includes a paper carrier layer to which a layer of a mixture of a colorless polyvinyl acetate-colorless mineral oil mixture is aixed and dried, which action drives most of the mineral oil horn the polyvinyl acetate to form a permanently liquid surface layer thereon.

' A further object of the invention is to use a colorless mineral oil in a decal for ultimately securing the decal onto a display surface, such as glass, and to also utilize static electricity created in or built up in a transparent vinyl sheet for-ming a part of a decal by a carrier paper layer' being stripped 4from the remainder of the decal immediately prior to application of the decal to a support surface as at least a temporary securing force for the decal.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings:

lFIG. 1 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section of the new laminate of the invention in the first step of manufacture thereof and wherein a liquid polyvinyl acetatecolorless mineral oil mixture is applied 4to a surface of a paper carrier sheet;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section of the laminate of FIG. 1 after the liquid layer thereon 'has been dried;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the laminate shown in FIG. 2 after a vinyl sheet or film has been affixed thereto and suitable printed indicia has been applied to the polyvinyl chloride sheet; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of the laminate of FIG. 3 after the polyvinyl acetate and paper layers r'ce thereon have been stripped therefrom as a unit and with the vinyl sheet and printed indicia being attached to a display surface by an oil film carried by the vinyl sheet for temporary display adhesion on the glass surface.

When referring to corresponding members shown in the drawings and referred to in the specification, corresponding numerals are used to facilitate comparison therebetween.

The present invention, generally speaking as to one embodiment thereof, relates to a new oil-film laminate that comprises a paper carrier sheet, a polyvinyl acetate layer adhered to one face of the paper sheets, a film of a colorless mineral oil removably carried by the polyvinyl acetate layer, a transparent vinyl film adhered to the mineral oil film, and printed indicia suitably aliixed to the vinyl film on its exposed face whereby the polyvinyl acetate layer and the paper sheet can be stripped from the mineral oil iilm which primarily remains on the vinyl iilm and then can be used to secure the vinyl iilm and printed indicia thereon removably to a support surface, such as a glass sheet or panel, for display action thereon.

Attention now is particularly directed to the details of the structure shown in the accompanying drawings, and a suitable carrier sheet, such as a paper sheet 1 is shown, which paper sheet 1 preferably is of between about .002 to about .004 inch thick. The drawing also shows that a liquid layer 2 of a mixture of a solution of a polyvinyl acetate resin and mineral oil is applied to one surface or face of this paper sheet 1. After this liquid layer has been applied to the paper sheet 1, the llaminate produced is subjected to suitable drying action dependent upon the temperatures required for the solvent drying action, and this action provides a film or layer 3 that primarily comprises polyvinyl acetate. Most of the colorless mineral oil initially mixed with the polyvinyl acetate liquid resin has been forced, or exudes from the polymerized polyvinyl acetate as it dries to produce a layer of colorless mineral oil 4 on the laminate as shown in FIG. 2. One suitable mineral oil for use in the practice of the invention is the naphthenicmineral oil known as Circolight which is made and sold by The Sun Oil Company. It is believed that any high grade colorless mineral oil can be used in the process of the invention, and approximately 5 to 40 parts by 'weight of the mineral oil are thoroughly and intimately mixed with 10() parts by Weight of the resin, which is in solution in any usual solvent, prior to application of the layer 2 to thevpaper sheet 1.

'Iihe laminate shown in lFIG. 2 next has a sheet of suitable transparent material, preferably monomerically plasticized vinyl, atlixed thereto in the for-m of a vinyl sheet 5 by conventional laminating action. The vinyl sheet 5 next usually has any suitable indicia applied thereto in the form of a :printed layer 6. This printed layer 6 may be applied by any conventional printing, silk screening, 0r `similar operation in a conventional manner, and may even be applied prior to allixing the vinyl sheet 5 to the laminate of FIG. 2.

It is a feature of the invention that the paper sheet 1 and the polyvinyl acetate layer 3 can be stripped as a unit from the remainder of the laminate shown in FIG. 3 and such action will create static electricity in the vinyl sheet 5 while it also primarily -leaves the oil film or layer 4 on the vinyl sheet 5. This vinyl sheet 5 then can be aixed to any suitable display or carrier surface such as a glass sheet 7, as shown in FIG. 4. A substantially continuous layer of the mineral oil 4 remains on the vinyl sheet 5 and this oil film will permit the decal as applied to the glass sheet 7 to be slid thereover slightly when fixing the decal of the invention thereto and locating the decal in the desired position on the glass sheet.

The decal then is permitted to remain upon the glass sheet 7 and it is believed that the mineral oil layer 4 and the static electricity on the vinyl sheet 5 both initially act to retain -the vinyl sheet 5 in a desired :position todisplay the printed layer 6 and then there may be a gradual chemical action, involving the Van der Waals effect, over a period of several hours to aid in securely bonding the vinyl sheet 5 releasably to the glass sheet 7. As the vinyl sheet 5 is transparent and a transparent mineral oil is used to form the layer 4, the printed indicia or layer 6 is visible from both surfaces of the glass sheet 7.

It is believed that the desired static electricity is created in the vinyl sheet 5 to a greater extent than normal by plasticizing such vinyl monomerically and hence such type of a plasticizer preferably is used when the vinyl film is made.

In practicing the method of the invention and making the improved laminate of the invention, the vinyl resin sheet 5 usually is from about .001 to about .005 inch in thickness and usually would be about 2 mils in thickness. In some instances, it may be desirable to use other inert transparent plastic materials, such as Mylar, as a substitute for the vinyl film or sheet 5. Mylar is a plastic transparent film made and sold by E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. of Wilmington, Delaware.

The novel and improved laminate or `decal of the invention can be made at low cost, and it has very desirable transparent optical properties. By use of the invention, the usual pressure sensitive adhesives are not required in afiixing decals in position. Such adhesive materials usually leave some residue on a display member, such as the glass sheet 7, when ultimately stripped therefrom. Also, these adhesives may not form a uniform transparent adhesive 'layer in the decal. Thus, it is believed that the objects of the invention have been achieved.

While one complete embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it will be appreciated that modification of this particular embodiment of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A laminate for use as a decal or the like and comprising a carrier sheet,

a layer of a mixture of a solution of a polyvinyl acetate resin and mineral oil coated to one face of said carrier sheet, the oil exuding from the resin as it dries to set up, land a film of a colorless mineral oil removably carried by said polyvinyl acetate layer,

a transparent vinyl film adhered to said film of mineral oil, and

printed indicia affixed to said vinyl film whereby said polyvinyl acetate layer and said carrier sheet can be stripped from said mineral oil film which can then be used to secure said vinyl film and printed indicia thereon to surface for display thereon.

2. A laminate as in claim '1 where said vinyl film is made from a material plasticized by a monomer to aid in creating static electricity therein when said polyvinyl acetate film is stripped therefrom.

3. A laminate for use as a decal or the like and comprising a paper sheet,

a polyvinyl acetate layer adhered to one face of said paper sheet,

a film of a colorless mineral oil removably carried by said polyvinyl acetate layer,

a transparent plastic film adhered to said film of mineral oil, said plastic film being made from a material that has static electricity created therein .fby stripping said polyvinyl acetate layer therefrom, and

printed indicia afiixed to said plastic film whereby said polyvinyl `acetate layer and said paper sheet can be stripped from said Imineral oil film which can then be used to secure said plastic film and printed indicia thereon to surface for display thereon.

4. A laminate for use as a decal or the like and comprising a carrier sheet,

a layer of a mixture of a solution of a polyvinyl acetate resin and .mineral oil coated to one face of said carrier sheet, the oil exuding from the resin as it dries to set up and a film of oil removably carried by said polyvinyl acetate layer,

a transparent plastic "film adhered to said lm of mineral oil, and

printed indicia affixed to said plastic film whereby said polyvinyl acetate layer and said carrier sheet can be stripped yfrom the remainder of the laminate, a substantially continuous layer of the oil remaining on the plastic film, the oil lm used to secure said plastic film and printed indicia thereon to surface for display thereon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,835,747 12/1931 Bartelstone 156-106 X 1,889,484 lll/1932 Marshburn 161-246 X 2,293,887 8/1942' Chamberlain 88-113 2,303,826 12/1942 De Bell 156-280 2,606,853 8/1952 Reese et al. 156-240 3,054,708 9/1962 Steinberg 156-1 EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

M. L. KATZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A LAMINATE FOR USE AS A DECAL OR THE LIKE AND COMPRISING A CARRIER SHEET, A LAYER OF A MIXTURE OF A SOLUTION OF A POLYVINYL ACETATE RESIN AND MINERAL OIL COATED TO ONE FACE OF SAID CARRIER SHEET, THE OIL EXUDING FROM THE RESIN AS IT DRIES TO SET UP, AND A FILM OF A COLORLESS MINEARL OIL REMOVABLY CARRIED BY SAID POLYVINYL ACETATE LAYER, A TRANSPARENT VINYL FILM ADHERED TO SAID FILM OF MINERAL OIL, AND 